University of Central Florida

The University of Central Florida began as Legislative Bill 125 when Governor Farris Bryant signed the law creating a new state university in 1963. A site near Orange and Seminole County lines was chosen as the location for the campus, but it took many years before the site at University and Alafaya became a college as the legislature struggled to fund the new university.

In 1965, the university opened its first offices above a drugstore at Church Street and Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando. Charles Millican was hired as president, serving as the first and only employee at the college during its early years. The college was named Florida Technological University in 1966 and the school received their first student inquiry, a postcard from Gaithersburg, Maryland, that same year. In September of that year, the first buildings were given approval and the Board of Regents authorized the formation of the College of Engineering. Ground was broken on March 19, 1967.

In 1968, Florida Tech was issued their first research grant from NASA in the amount of $12,500. The first building, the library, opened in 1968. Initially, the building housed administration, classrooms and offices as well as the library. In 1969, a sketch appeared in the school newspaper, the FuTUre, drawn by Gene Hines, the husband of the school's night nurse, Judy, of a vulture. The newspaper felt that the vulture should be the school mascot as it "keeps the land clean" and is "one of nature's pollution fighters." However, in 1970, the school chose the Knights of the Pegasus as the mascot.

In 1971, a chain of fires broke out in the campus green areas. Witnesses reported seeing two men driving around in a truck setting the fires, which destroyed 1,200 acres of property, stopping just before destroying the theater department's tent. The school had fought developers from the beginning to preserve the green areas, so the loss was a crushing blow. Two brothers were charged with arson in the incident.

The name of the school changed to the University of Central Florida in 1978. Another tragedy struck the school in 2004 when Hurricane Charley damaged the main roof in one of the buildings, ruining carpet, floors and exercise equipment.

Today, UCF is the second-largest university in the country with more than 61,000 students enrolled. It has been ranked as one of the country's most innovative universities by the U.S. News & World Report as well as one of the nation's best values for college education by both Kiplinger and the Princeton Review.

University of Central Florida Accreditation Details

The University of Central Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. In addition, specific programs have been accredited by the following specialized accrediting agencies:

Accreditation Committee of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education

American Chemical Society

American Medical Association

American Psychological Association

Association of University Programs in Health Administration

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education

Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education

Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information

Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education

Commission on Collegiate Nursing

Commission on English Language Program Accreditation

Computing Accreditation Commission

Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology

Council on Social Work Education

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs

Engineering Accreditation Commission

Liaison Committee on Medical Education Association of American Medical Colleges

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences

National Association of School Psychologists

National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration/Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation

National Association of Schools of Music

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

University of Central Florida Application Requirements

Freshman who wish to attend UCF must complete the Common Application and pay the applicable fee. Students must provide an official high school transcript as well as official SAT or ACT scores. Students who have earned college credits must also provide official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.

Graduate students must submit the Graduate Application for Admission and the required fee. In addition students must provide official transcripts from each college or university attended as well as official GRE or GMAT scores. Some programs may require recommendations, resumes, essays or other materials as part of the admissions process.

University of Central Florida Tuition and Fees

Undergraduate tuition at the University of Central Florida is $212.28 per credit hour for in-state residents and for non-residents is $748.89 per credit hour. Graduate tuition is $369.65 for in-state residents and for non-residents is $1,194.05.

Financial aid is available at UCF in the form of grants, scholarships and loans. More than 75 percent of UCF students receive some sort of financial aid package. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for financial aid at UCF.

University of Central Florida Online Degree(s) Available

Business Administration PhD

UCF offers a doctorate level degree in business administration. The program prepares students for academic careers in higher education as well as management careers in the corporate world. Students must choose one of four program tracks as part of the degree process:

Accounting

Finance

Management

Marketing

Students must complete a candidacy examination with written and oral sections. Students must complete a dissertation and defend their findings through an oral presentation. There is also an oral examination based on the dissertation.

In order to apply for acceptance to the program, students must provide official GMAT scores and all applications must be received by April 15. Students must also provide tree letters of recommendation, an application, official college transcripts, a goal statement and a resume in order to be considered.

UCF does not offer a business doctorate that is completely online. However, some courses required for the doctoral degree may be available online. Students who may have work, family or social obligations that require a flexible schedule may benefit from a combination of online and on-campus courses. Some doctorate classes may also be offered evenings and weekends to provide even more flexibility for online learners with obstacles to obtaining an advanced degree.